Impact of pain on the quality of life of patients with chronic pain/ Impacto da dor na qualidade de vida do paciente com dor cronica

Introduction: Chronic pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that persists or repeats for more than 3 months. Because it is a multidimensional condition that affects biopsychosocial aspects, it impacts on the quality of life of individuals living with it, thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate this impact in patients from basic health units in Northwestern Sao Paulo. Methodology: an investigative survey was conducted, in which the 379 volunteers, over 18 years of age, of both sexes, with chronic pain, who answered about the relationship between quality of life and chronic pain. Results: of the participants 82 were men (22%) and 297 women (78%), most of them were over 50 years old (58%), married (54%), with elementary school (48%) and high school (41%). A positive correlation was found between impairments in quality of life and low education, female gender, and married marital status. Conclusions: The prevalence of chronic pain in the general population it is higher in women than in men, married, over 50 years of age, with low schooling in line with the literature. These results are important for the planning of public policies and the training of professionals, in order to perform a multidimensional approach in welcoming patients with pain. Keywords: Chronic pain; Impact; Quality of life. Introducao: A dor cronica e uma experiencia sensitiva e emocional desagradavel, que persiste ou se repete por mais de 3 meses. Por ser uma condicao multidimensional, que afeta aspectos biopsicossociais, impacta na qualidade de vida dos individuos que convivem com ela, assim o objetivo do estudo foi avaliar este impacto em pacientes de unidades basicas de saude no noroeste paulista. Metodologia: Foi realizado um inquerito investigativo, em que os 379 voluntarios, maiores de 18 anos, de ambos os sexos, com dor cronica, que responderam sobre a relacao da qualidade de vida e dor cronica. Resultados: dos participantes 82 eram homens (22%) e 297 mulheres (78%), sendo a maioria maiores de 50 anos (58%), casados (54%), com escolaridade do ensino fundamental (48%) e ensino medio (41%). Constatou-se correlacao positiva entre prejuizos na qualidade de vida e baixa escolaridade, sexo feminino e estado civil casados. Conclusoes: A prevalencia de dor cronica na populacao geral e maior em mulheres do que em homens, casados, maiores de 50 anos, com baixa escolaridade em consonancia com a literatura. Estes resultados sao importantes para o planejamento de politicas pu